Bengal: Suvendu booked for transfer threat to SP, claims of possessing his call details

The BJP leader warned the SP not to do anything that might cause him to be posted in Baramulla in Kashmir. Adhikari also reminded him that the BJP was in power at the Centre.

“Ekta bachcha chhele SP esche. Kake ki bolchen sob aami jani. Aami onek puruno khelowar. Aami shudhu bole gelam, aapni central cadre er officer, amon kaaj korben na jaate Kashmir er Anantnag ba Baramulla a duty korte hoye. Pishimoni, Didimoni keo bachate parbe na. Aamar kachhe protyek ta phone, call, number ache. Aapnader haathe jodi rajya sarkar thake, amader hateo kendra sarkar ache. [There is this kid who has been posted here as SP. I know who you are talking to. I am an old player. I am just saying you are a central cadre officer… don’t do something for which you may get posted to Baramulla or Anantnag in Kashmir. No ‘Pishi’ or ‘Didi’ will be able to save you. I have all the call records, phone details and numbers. If you have the state government on your side, we have the central government],” the BJP leader was heard telling party workers.

Taking cognisance of the remarks, Amarnath said, “He [Adhikari] has been booked under the National Disaster Management Act for violating Covid norms and addressing a gathering with more than 50 people. Also, he made some statements on communal lines. Thus, 295 A [deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class] and a section of the Official Secrets Act have also been added.”

The police have invoked the Official Secrets Act, saying the administration can conduct telephonic surveillance after legally obtaining the due clearances.

Reacting to the case against Adhikari, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “The LoP has publicly told the police that he has the call list of our leader’s office, all the recordings. We request Mamata Banerjee and [Diamond Harbour MP] Abhishek [Banerjee] to immediately start an investigation and bring the whole conspiracy to light through the interrogation.”

The state BJP unit came out in Adhikari’s defence. It said if the Nandigram MLA faces action, TMC leader Mukul Roy should also be arrested for making similar comments after joining it in 2017. Roy rejoined the ruling party last month.

“Suvendu Adhikari is a seasoned politician. He made the statements at a rally. If the police can lodge cases against Adhikari, then why is Mukul Roy being spared? After joining the BJP, he said in an interview that the TMC government had tapped his phones. Was that statement true or false?” said state BJP chief spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya.

(With PTI inputs)